Track 08: The Deep End
- Kindred Williams
- Aug 16
- 5 min read
Get to know the man behind the Testimony and what’s coming next.
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Somewhere between deep-rooted spirituality and the complexities of being a Same Gender Loving man, between the big-eared boy from Prince George’s County, Maryland and the grown man I am today, there’s music. Not just songs, but a man who has lived a lot of life and still chooses to let God lead and guide him. And every now and then, the same sinner folks try to make me out to be for living my truths out loud becomes the mirror that helps someone reconnect with their Higher Power and remember who they were created to be.
That’s what Testimony was for me. The start of something raw and unfiltered. My attempt to finally do the thing. To live the dream I had for myself, and the one so many others had for me. It wasn’t as polished as I would have liked, but it’s proof that I tried. That I showed up.
But if you think you’ve seen all of me, I’ve only just stepped into the water.
This post is different. It’s The RebelGent Unplugged in conversation with me. No PR rep. No filter. Just Kindred sitting with Kindred. So here’s a self-interview. A deep dive into the artist, the lover, the sinner, the survivor, and the storyteller. Welcome to The Deep End.
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🎤 Who was Kindred when Testimony dropped?
A man finally ready to be seen. Testimony was years of silencing my gift with self-doubt, wrapped in song. It held my grief, love, rejection, HIV stigma, spirituality, and betrayal. It wasn’t curated. It was confessional. It wasn’t perfect, but it was honest. That album was healing for me. It carried my life from 2007 through 2023.
I’m also a huge fan of Marvel, DC Comics, and everything Disney. And quiet as it’s kept, I’ve always loved a good villain. Not because they’re evil, but because they’re usually the ones no one listened to. The ones who were pushed to the edge. What was their villain origin story?
Testimony was mine.
People tend to see me as guarded or cold, but they don’t always understand what I’ve lived through that made me that way. I had to learn how to protect my energy. I had to learn how to shield my heart. Testimony was me saying, “This is where I’ve been.” And now I’m ready to show you who I am when I’m not trying to explain it.
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🎤 What does The Deep End Era represent?
It’s immersion into my artistry. I’m not dipping my toes in anymore. I’m all the way in.
The Deep End is where I stop softening my edges. It’s where I honor the grown man I’ve become. Not just the one who made it through, but the one who is learning how to thrive.
Each section of my upcoming album To The Water reflects that journey:
PAIN is what baptized me.
PASSION is what awakens me.
POWER is what grounds me.
PRIDE is what frees me.
You’ll hear it in my voice. You’ll feel it in the lyrics. You’ll see it in the visuals. This season is more confident, more sensual, more soul.
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🎤 You just released Testimony last year. Are you really ready to start a new era?
Absolutely. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever is.
I grew up wanting to be a household name. For a long time, it felt like that dream belonged to everybody else. I didn’t think I had the chops. I thought I missed my window.
But the older I got, and the more I learned to appreciate my voice for what it is, the more I realized I wasn’t meant to be the next anybody. I was made to be Kindred.
Even when music felt out of reach, I still wanted to put out an album like the ones that raised me. I wanted to make my parents and my Gramma proud. I wanted to prove that my story, when partnered with my testimony, could shift something in someone else.
But I was green. I thought recording meant spending a couple days in the studio with a live band. I didn’t know about vocal comps, sessions, mixing, and all the behind-the-scenes hustle it takes to put something meaningful into the world.
Now I know. And this next era is me walking in with clarity, with intention, and with full ownership of what I bring.
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🎤 So where are you now with Testimony and Testimony Deluxe?
I’m still vibing in my Villain Origin Story. I’m still introducing myself. Still calling in my people. The ones who hear my voice and feel something.
I’m always vocal about my favorite artists. Whitney. Luther. Lalah. PJ. Jazmine. These aren’t just influences. These are the ones I press play on when I need to remember why I do this. They each have that thing that makes you want to live in their sound. That’s what I’m curating for Kindred.
And this October will be my first time performing Testimony and Testimony Deluxe live with a band and background vocalists. Last year, I released the music. This year, I get to bring it to life. Not just for listeners, but for me. I want to prove to myself that I’m not just a studio singer. I’m an artist. A performer. And I’m just getting started.
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🎤 So much of your work is sensual without being performative. Why is that important to you?
Because too often, Black gay men are either hypersexualized, hyperfeminized, or erased all together. I’m not here to shrink or sensationalize myself. I’m here to express the full spectrum.
Desire isn’t dirty. Love isn’t weak. Sensuality isn’t shameful. Especially not when it belongs to us.
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🎤 How does The RebelGent Unplugged fit into all of this?
This blog is a mirror. It’s a seat on the therapist’s couch. It’s where I go to reflect and be real. Not just for me, but for people like me.
Before the pandemic, I ran a blog called Melanin Ever After. It gave me freedom. This is the evolution of that. The RebelGent Unplugged lets people meet the man behind the music. The man behind the smile. The one who’s still figuring it all out.
Whether I’m writing about mental health, body image, grief, marriage, or learning to take up space, this blog is my open journal.
This post especially is for the ones who stream the music but don’t know the full story. I’m not just giving you tracks. I’m giving you testimony. Again.
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🎤 For folks just discovering you, where should they start?
Start with Testimony Deluxe. Let it play all the way through. Then come back here and read Tracks 01 through 07. You’ll feel the thread. You’ll see how the music and the writing are part of the same journey.
Follow me on Insta and TikTok and subscribe on YouTube: @Kindr3dWilliams
Then get ready. Because Wet, Drip, and To The Water are going to take you deeper.
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🎤 What’s one thing you want people to know that the music doesn’t always say out loud?
That I’m still healing. Still learning. Still choosing joy.
That I’m not just a Black gay artist. Not just a graphic designer. Not just a husband. I’m a Black man with a divine assignment. A storyteller with something to say.
I’m not here for pity or perfection. I’m here for liberation. Mine and yours.
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So if you’ve been wondering what’s next…
This is your invitation to dive into the deep end.
I’m already in.
I’m just waiting on you.
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